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I drive a 2009 X5 3.0. (currently has 73000 km). Today (a cold day -14C or so), on the way to go home at a complete stop and just before merging in the highway, I put the X5 in DS mode (I normally drive it in D mode). I was able to get to about 40 km/hr but it would not go faster and the fuel economy gauge was stuck at its highest. I pulled over and put it back in D and it got going with no problems. Driving at about 80 km/hr I tried the DS mode 3 more times. I had the same issue in the first try (fuel economy gauge stuck and not going any faster with me pushing the gas pedal) but had no issues with 2nd and 3rd tries in the DS mode. When I got home, I stopped to pick up the mail and noticed that the fan was unusually loud. Turned the car off and back on. The fan was on but not as loud. Thankfully I am still covered under warranty and just booked an appointment to take it in on Monday. I am just wondering if any of you guys have ever seen anything like this? It is always nicer to go to the service center with some background.

Please don't be insulted if this sounds like a stupid question, but when you had the problem, did the dash indication still show you were in "DS?" If you happen to nudge the shift lever in DS mode, it goes into manual mode, e.g., if it accidentally got into 1st or 2nd gear, I assume the engine rev limiter would limit your speed to whatever the max engine revs are. I myself have in the past accidentally put it into manual mode when shifting into DS and wondered why it wasn't shifting until I looked at the dash and saw "M1" instead of "DS" and realized I had held onto the shifter a second or two after moving it into DS and accidentally put it into Manual Mode.

Please don't be insulted if this sounds like a stupid question, but when you had the problem, did the dash indication still show you were in "DS?" If you happen to nudge the shift lever in DS mode, it goes into manual mode, e.g., if it accidentally got into 1st or 2nd gear, I assume the engine rev limiter would limit your speed to whatever the max engine revs are. I myself have in the past accidentally put it into manual mode when shifting into DS and wondered why it wasn't shifting until I looked at the dash and saw "M1" instead of "DS" and realized I had held onto the shifter a second or two after moving it into DS and accidentally put it into Manual Mode.

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Thank you for your comment! I actually looked at the Dash and am sure it was in DS mode. Having said that, what you are saying makes sense. I wonder if it is possible (due to a glitch ) to have the DS sign on dash while the lever is in Manual mode.

Just an update for whoever is reading this. After about 200 km of driving I could not repeat what I experienced the other day which leads me to believe that I may have inadvertently put it in Manual mode rather than DS (e.g. the problem was the driver in this case...)

Thanx for your response and for your comment Ard. I'm considering it. The car is a 05/2009 build. Would the battery be that old? The last 10000 kms have been highway driving and little stop and go if that makes any difference.

I think DS just keep your revs up, petrol and diesel engines has bad torques on low RPMs and they work better in higher RPM, but as far as I know DS do not adjust anything on your engine but the RPMs, consequently you will wasting more fuel. so at high speed when you are at 3000 RPM or higher you wont have any advantage with your DS on.

I'm new on this site... But not new to BMW, you guys keep talking about DS? (I currently still driving my 335i m-sport, when I press the M-sport button, the car launches into action...but drinks a lot of fuel) so is the DS button the same as the M-sport button you talking about?
Awaiting to change into a X5 SD

I assume the energy diagnosis is them looking at the history of energy use/recharge/driving patterns...

Your 2009 battery is close to 6 years old. BMWs start doing funny things as the batteries get old. I'd think about a new one, but NEVER at a dealership

GL

A

Took the X5 in today and, as you always recommend, asked to talk to the Master Tech. I was expecting a response along the lines of "he is busy now" but surprisingly he showed up very quickly. I explained my concerns regarding the odd fan behaviour and AC not blowing cold air and mentioned that my warranty is close to expiring. He was very respectful and listened carefully and recommended adding a few lines to the service request. I shall wait and see what he comes up with.

When I asked his opinion about getting an extended warranty, acknowledging that this is a personal decision, he said that the I6 is reliable and he has not seen too many major issues with this engine. And the smaller issues are typically not covered by a third-party warranty. I will post an update when I hear from them. Oh, and the guy had a German accent, I hope that helps with diagnosing BMW issues ))

"Evacuated AC system, was completely empty. Charged up AC system 700G. Installed die leak detector. Noticed that the AC pressure line at the compressor is leaking. Estimated hose and 2 o-rings required. Parts ordered will call to rebook"

Another issue that I had was that a couple of times during car wash, I noticed water dripping from somewhere behind the glove box onto the front passenger side. Here is what they did:

"Removed splash shield at the micro-filter housing. Found the seal for the micro-filter housing is pinched up causing water to run inside the AC box. Removed housing and adjusted the seal. Installed back the micro-filter sprayed water from outside, no water is running inside now."

I am happy with how they handled the issues. Obviously, I will be going back to have them finish the AC work but I am hoping that I will not have to go there for a while...